


From the very beginning

by sorrow_key



Category: Pandora Hearts
Genre: (translators tags:), Bitter-sweet, Canon-Typical Smoking, F/M, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, making the other laugh which I feel is a relevant tag bc I enjoyed it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 18:53:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18745030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sorrow_key/pseuds/sorrow_key
Summary: Gilbert goes looking for a new home, but finds something greater than that.





	From the very beginning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [filzmonster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/filzmonster/gifts).
  * A translation of [С самого начала](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12407223) by [Joleinn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joleinn/pseuds/Joleinn). 



> To filzmonster, I'm not sure I properly thanked you for your secret santa gift yet and even though I already privately shared this translation with you, I'm taking the chance to do so now :D
> 
> I'm still not entirely into this rareship, but this was fun to both read and translate 😁

Gilbert walked through the familiar corridors for the very last time, absentmindedly bidding goodbye to the few people he came across, left the gate behind and looked around.

Reveille had quickly regained its senses after the unsuccessful end of the world, having recovered from the destruction after a mere few months. Removed from the streets were the corpses and garbage, new stones now covered the broken roads, and the attacks by wild chains had almost stopped. The peaceful city spread out around Gilbert and in this city, he had nowhere to go.

He took out his cigarettes and awkwardly struck the matches: getting by with one hand remained difficult. The acrid smoke was a familiar comfort, helped him deal with his thoughts.

Gilbert looked back to Pandora’s former building: already, rays of the rising dawn crawled across the roof, driving the grey twilight back little by little. Somewhere, shutters slammed open and sleepy voices rose up. Gilbert smothered a yawn, he’d too wanted to sleep for a long time now.

After Pandora's annihilation, the Baskervilles remained as the only ones looking after chains and illegal contractors, and this gave Gilbert the chance to avoid thinking about anything but work for two whole months. But today Glen had caught him sleeping in the office for the umpteenth time and had literally thrown him out to go home, forbidding him from returning without special orders to do so. 

For the world, this was a good sign - if there was no need for Raven and him right now, that meant the immediate threat had passed. But for Gilbert, to find himself without work in his loneliness was actual torture.

Gilbert put out the cigarette and tried to think of what place he could even call home at this point. After considering many options, he discarded them all. Work was his only retreat: his apartment too full of bitter memories, his friends and family dead, pretending to be dead or grieving. In every shelter he knew, ghosts and yet unhealed wounds awaited.

He wandered the roads for a long time, sparing no glance as to where he was going. He almost decided to book a hotel room, but didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention. In the end, his feet brought him to the edge of town, where the outskirts began. Gilbert stopped.

His head started to hurt from tension and exhaustion, but it was still empty - he’d gotten too good at not thinking lately. In that case, he should leave the decision to someone else. Gilbert closed his eyes and asked himself the question that had rescued him in difficult moments for ages.

“What would Break do?”

The answer turned out to be easy and ridiculously obvious. Break would start from the very beginning.

 

***

 

After the downfall of the Vessalliuses’ dukehouse, their mansion, just like many others,  was returned to the Baskervilles. Gilbert had fired the staff and now froze in front of the  ivy-covered walls. After ten years of emptiness, the building was considerably dilapidated. Gilbert belatedly realised that a long since abandoned house wasn’t the best place to start a normal life in, but there was nowhere to return to. Perhaps that was for the best: renovating the mansion was sure to keep him as busy as the extermination of chains. Casting aside his doubts, Gilbert pushed open the heavy door. And immediately collapsed beneath the strike of a giant paw.

The gigantic lion nailed him to the floor of the entrance hall and let out a deafening roar, calling his master. More specifically, his mistress.

“I  _ warned  _ you that no one comes in here without my permission!” - the even knock of familiar heels resounded on the stairs, the mistress clearly not in a hurry to free the impudent intruder.

“Hello Charlotte,” Gilbert rasped when she came closer. “Sorry, I didn’t know someone already lives here.

“Gilbert?” Charlotte was clearly trying not to laugh out loud.

He moved his fingers in greeting.

“Do you mind if I get up? I’ve had a fear of cats since childhood.”

Charlotte split her sides laughing. She called the lion and hugged him around the neck in order to keep her balance. Gilbert smiled as well - he didn’t remember the last time he’d manage to make someone laugh anymore. 

  
  


***

 

Charlotte generously allowed him to get himself cleaned up and even offered him tea and slightly dry cake.

“Sorry for the harsh welcome, I thought it was one of the locals. Those poor souls can’t seem to understand that this house has new owners.”

“You don’t exactly advertise your presence,” Gilbert remarks. “I wouldn’t have bothered you if I’d known someone lives here.”

Charlotte only waved him off.

“Well, you remember how busy I was the last few months. Master Glen only let me go ereyesterday, I barely managed to catch up on sleep.”

That explained the chewy texture of the cake - she’d probably taken them with her from the city.

“Why did you decide to move here of all places?” Gilbert truly didn’t understand - Charlotte didn’t seem like the kind of person who liked her privacy. A mansion in the center of the capital would be a better fit for her. Maybe he could convince her to move to the Nightray residence, then he wouldn’t have to sell the house...

“Where else would I go?” Charlotte said, surprised. “I’ve lived here since I joined the Baskerville family. This is the only home I have left, the rest rotted away together with the old capital. Didn’t you come back here for the same reason?”

“Actually, I was just looking for a place to sleep,” Gilbert admitted. “I barely remember my childhood before the Abyss.”

It was the truth. He remembered some moments from that ancient time - and now regretted it. He’d have liked to know how Charlotte had looked back then.

“About the same, except the dress was much less comfortable,” Charlotte replied and Gilbert was seriously embarrassed.

“Sorry, I’m so tired I completely lost control of my tongue.”

“You would’ve made a good Glen.” Charlotte smiled. “You have no regard for yourself either.”

Before Gilbert managed to protest, she turned around to the unbolted window. The bright light of the evening sun slid across her hair, as if over a pink blossom. Her pearly hairpins glistened like drops of evening dew.

“It’s too late to go back to Reveille,” she said. “Find yourself a room, there’s still some furniture on the upper floors.”

“Thank you, Charlotte,” Gilbert told her. She grimaced.

“Just Lottie. Charlotte’s what my mum called me, and she’d get a stroke from the thought of me sleeping in a house with a man on my own.”

 

***

 

Ever since his return from the Abyss, sleep escaped Gilbert. No matter how tired he got and no matter how hard he tried to force himself to fall asleep, he didn’t get even nightmares.

This night was no different. He lay on the old, broken-up bed for many hours before managing to doze off a little, - and almost immediately woke from a scream. The screaming came from below - apparently someone had decided it would be easier to get into the house in the dead of the night than it would be during day-time. Gilbert managed to run through a whole floor and down half a stairs before remembering that Charlotte didn't need help.

The entrance hall was empty. The lion was walking through the room and growled angrily, swinging his tail from side to side. One of the windows was broken and the shards glistened with fresh blood - the intruder clearly having been in a hurry to get away.

“Disgusting,” he heard behind his back. Gilbert turned around - Charlotte sat on the highest stair tread, wrapping herself in her nightgown. “Show them a drop of kindness - and the emboldened farmers interrupt my sleep for two nights in a row. I already miss our infamous reputation. Just recently, people would’ve run screaming just at the sound of the Baskerville name.”

“That can be arranged,” Gilbert offered in a fit of sudden childish mischief. 

Charlotte tilted her head.

“Really?”

He nodded and moved towards the exit. The walls had been witness to so many of Oz’s pranks that it would be unforgivable not to add at least one of his own.

“Go back to sleep, I’ll keep watch until morning. I won’t be able to fall back asleep anyway.”

“You’re too young to suffer from senile insomnia.” Charlotte called her lion and lied down on his back.

“I’m a hundred twenty five years old!” Gilbert countered. Charlotte laughed and ordered the lion to follow him.

“Alright. And how will an old man like you scare the youths?”

“Stay in the house,” Gilbert warned. He went outside, backed away some and summoned Raven. The giant bird flew up to the roof, splattering drops of blue flames around it. The fire flowing from the feathers was enough to illuminate the entire mansion.

“Oh!” In the light blue glow, Charlotte’s face shone with delight. “You’re right, a guardian like this could give this house a fitting reputation for ages.”

“I could visit from time to time to secure the effect--” He broke off,  faced with a thoughtful gaze.

“I think it would be better if you just stay here,” Charlotte uttered. “After a show like this, hiring help for this cursed manor won’t be easy, so I could use a pair of helping hands.”

“I only have one.” Gilbert waved his empty sleeve for emphasis. 

For some reason, no irritation arose. Rather, he suddenly felt lighter. More comfortable.

“No matter,” Charlotte cut him off. Seemed like she’d decided everything for him. And it seemed like Gilbert liked that.

“You know, Lottie,” he said, coming closer to her. “I think I like being pushed around a little.”

“Oh, my dear,” she smiled, pressing her hand to his cheek. “Then you’ve hit the jackpot.”

Gilbert kissed her fingers and thought that maybe, he’d manage to start anew from the very beginning after all.


End file.
